Creative offices

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You don't have to do like Google and fill your office with beanbags and video games to get the creative juices flowing. But there's no doubt that a company's working environment can both stimulate and suppress employees' creativity. Here are eight hot tips which the most creative companies put into practice when designing their offices!

1. Embrace new valuesNowadays, people aren't as in awe of their workplace as they used to be. As far as they're concerned, it just has to work, be flexible and make them feel good. Organisations that understand this will have a competitive edge when it comes to recruiting and retaining new talent.

2. Offer an anchorThe more mobile we become, the more important personal interaction may become. The most creative companies create informal meeting places that reinforce connections between people.

3. Mix different perspectivesA good way to ensure a successful workplace is to have employees with knowledge in a wide range of fields sit together to encourage natural collaboration and feedback.

4. Design for efficiencyAs workplaces contract, we'll see more smart solutions, such as non-hierarchical offices where people share desks, work from home or sit in a row in a bench-like configuration.

5. Support different ways of workingTop companies generally have a range of different work spaces for different requirements, e.g. open areas where people can work over a cup of coffee, a snack or a meal, as well as enclosed spaces where people can work on their own in silence.

6. Take a holistic approach to healthThe best companies want their employees to feel good. The closer together we work, the more important it becomes to protect the indoor environment – both for health and for productivity. This also means, for example, using ergonomic furniture and tools that don't contain harmful substances, taking advantage of more natural daylight and lowering or removing partitions.

7. Protect the brandThink carefully about what you want your office to say about your company. Apple's stores are a good example of how the environment reflects the brand. In the same way, a workplace can reflect the company's history, news and values.

8. Make the office adaptableTechnological developments are the biggest driver of workplace evolution. It's a good idea to enlist the help of experts who can give you an idea of the direction technology is moving in, and create an office that can easily adapt in the event of rapid change.